Stuffed Pepper Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 medium bell pepper (diced, any color)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 2 stalks celery (chopped small)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 7 cups beef broth (low sodium, or chicken broth)
• 28 ounce diced tomatoes (1 can)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup rice (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the beef: Preheat a large dutch oven or soup pot, over medium heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the beef, season with some salt, break up with a wooden spoon and cook until cooked through, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Drain any excess oil if necessary. It all depends on how fatty your ground beef is, if using extra lean, no draining is necessary.

2. 2

   Saute the veggies: Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil then add the onions, carrots, peppers, and celery, add another pinch of salt and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until they caramelize a bit and cook down.

3. 3

   Combine the base of the soup: Add the beef back in along with the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds then add in the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning, bring to a boil, partially cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Finish the dish: Add the rice to the soup. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. When done, adjust the seasoning to taste and stir in the parm. Serve with some crusty bread!